Control and audio systems for a boat

ABSTRACT

A boat includes a dash positioned proximate a windshield at a first non-zero angle. A speaker is mounted under a top surface of the dash at a second non-zero angle. The speaker is positioned to direct sound emanating from the speaker through an opening in the dash and the windshield is configured to reflect the sound emanating from the speaker as reflected sound in an aft direction. The boat may also include an enclosure having a reflective surface positioned within a cavity formed between the deck and hull of the boat. A speaker, mounted within the enclosure, and the reflective surface are configured to reflect sound emanating from the speaker off of the reflective surface and through an opening of the enclosure.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent aplication Ser. No.15/633,727, filed Jun. 26, 2017. U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/633,727 claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/492,926, filed May 1, 2017, andtitled “Control and Audio Systems for a Boat.” The foregoingapplications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entiretiesand are made a part of this specification for all that they disclose.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to control systems, including displays, andcontrol methods for boats, in particular, recreational boats used forwater sports. This invention also relates to audio systems for boatsincluding control systems and control methods for the audio systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Recreational boats are designed for multiple activities on the water,and in recent years, have become more complex. Boats may be designed formultiple water sports, such as water skiing, wakeboarding, wake surfing,tubing, and the like. Increasingly, multiple different pieces ofequipment are included on the boat for each of these sports,contributing to the increased complexity. These boats are also designedfor a variety of different users. Different users have differentsettings and preferences for the boat and equipment within each of thedifferent water sports. Boats are also used for general cruising as wellas transiting to and from the areas where the boat is used for watersports activities. In addition, these boats are often used for otherleisure activities, such as swimming, sunbathing, or just relaxing onthe water.

With such versatility comes added complexity in the controls, controlsystems, and displays for those controls and settings. There is thusdesired improved, efficient, effective, and user-friendly controlsystems, including displays, for these recreational boats.

Audio systems, such as those used to play music, are often used witheach of the various activities discussed above. Therefore, users desireaudio systems, including speakers and control systems, that providehigh-quality sound under each of the varying uses of the recreationalboat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the invention relates to a boat including a hull, a deck,a windshield, a dash, and a speaker. The hull includes a bow, a transom,and port and starboard sides, and the deck includes a floor. Thewindshield is mounted at a first non-zero angle with respect to thefloor, and the dash is positioned proximate the windshield. The dashincludes a top surface and an opening. The speaker is mounted under thetop surface of the dash at a second non-zero angle with respect to thefloor. The speaker is positioned to direct sound emanating from thespeaker through the opening in the dash. The windshield is configured toreflect the sound emanating from the speaker as reflected sound, and thefirst non-zero angle of the windshield and the second non-zero angle ofthe speaker are configured to direct the reflected sound in an aftdirection.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a boat including a hull, adeck, an enclosure, and a speaker. The hull includes a bow, a transom,and port and starboard sides, and the deck includes a floor and anopening. The deck is positioned above the hull forming a cavity betweenthe deck and the hull. The enclosure is positioned within the cavity andincludes a reflective surface. The reflective surface of the enclosureis positioned at a non-zero angle with respect to the floor. The speakeris mounted within the enclosure, and the speaker and the reflectivesurface of the enclosure are configured to reflect sound emanating fromthe speaker off of the reflective surface and through the opening.

These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a boat according to a preferred embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the boat shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the control console of the boat shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the passenger side console of the boatshown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of the control console taken along line5-5 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is the cross-section view shown in FIG. 5 illustrating reflectedsound waves.

FIG. 7 is a cross-section view of the control console taken along line5-5 in FIG. 2 showing an alternative configuration of the controlconsole.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a configuration of the dash speakerenclosure shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 8B is a perspective view of anotherconfiguration of the dash speaker enclosure shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 8C isa perspective view of a further configuration of the dash speakerenclosure shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a cross-section of the control console taken along line 5-5 inFIG. 2 showing another alternative configuration of the control console.

FIG. 10 shows the hull of the boat shown in FIG. 1 with the deckremoved.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the subwoofer enclosure.

FIG. 12 is a cross-section of the subwoofer enclosure shown in FIG. 11taken along plane 12-12 in FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a cross-section of an alternative subwoofer enclosure takenalong plane 12-12 in FIG. 10.

FIG. 14 is a cross-section of another alternative subwoofer enclosuretaken along plane 12-12 in FIG. 10.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the bow of the boat shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of the control system for the boat shownin FIG. 1.

FIGS. 17A and 17B are screenshots of the center display of the controlconsole shown in FIG. 3 in the drive mode. FIG. 17A is a screenshot ofthe center display in the standard view, and FIG. 17B is a screenshot ofthe center display in the expanded view. FIG. 17C is a screen shot ofthe side display of the control console shown in FIG. 3 in the drivemode.

FIG. 18 is a detail view of the switch pad of the control console shownin FIG. 3.

FIGS. 19A and 19B are screenshots of the center display of the controlconsole shown in FIG. 3 in the tow mode. FIG. 19A is a screenshot of thecenter display in the standard view, and FIG. 19B is a screenshot of thecenter display in the expanded view. FIG. 19C is a screen shot of theside display of the control console shown in FIG. 3 in the surf mode.FIG. 19D is a screen shot of the side display of the control consoleshown in FIG. 3 in the wake mode. FIG. 19E is a screen shot of the sidedisplay of the control console shown in FIG. 3 in the ski mode.

FIGS. 20A and 20B are screenshots of the center display of the controlconsole shown in FIG. 3 in the chill mode. FIG. 20A is a screenshot ofthe center display in the standard view, and FIG. 20B is a screenshot ofthe center display in the expanded view. FIG. 20C is a screen shot ofthe side display of the control console shown in FIG. 3 in the chillmode.

FIG. 21 is a schematic of the audio system of the boat shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 22 is a flow chart showing how the audio system shown in FIG. 21compensates for at least one environmental condition associated with anoperating condition of the boat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As used herein, directional terms forward (fore), aft, inboard, andoutboard have their commonly understood meaning in the art. Relative tothe boat, forward is a direction toward the bow, and aft is a directiontoward the stern. Likewise, inboard is a direction toward the center ofthe boat and outboard is a direction away from it.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a boat 100 in accordance with an exemplary preferredembodiment of the invention. The boat 100 includes a hull 110 with a bow112, a transom 114, a port side 116, and a starboard side 118. The portand starboard sides 116, 118 have port and starboard gunwales 122, 124,respectively. The boat 100 has a centerline 102 running down the middleof the boat 100, halfway between the port and starboard sides 116, 118.Collectively, the bow 112, the transom 114, and the port and starboardsides 116, 118 define an interior 130 of the boat 100.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the boat 100 is a bowriderhaving both a bow seating area 132 positioned in the bow 112 of the boat100 and a primary seating area 134 (sometimes also referred to as thecockpit) positioned aft of a windshield 104. The boat 100 shown in FIGS.1 and 2 also has a pair of aft-facing seats 136, such as those describedin U.S. Pat. No. 9,650,117, which is incorporated by reference herein inits entirety. Also within the boat's interior 130 is a control console300 for operating the boat 100. Here, the control console 300 ispositioned on the starboard side of the boat 100 proximate to and aft ofthe windshield 104. The boat 100 is driven by a single inboard motor(engine 550 in FIG. 16) connected to a propeller (not shown) by a driveshaft (not shown). However, this invention can be utilized with othertypes of boats and propulsion systems, including but not limited tooutboard motors, sterndrives, and the like. Although described inreference to a bowrider this invention may be used with any suitableboat including cuddies, center consoles, and cruisers, for example. Theinvention is also not limited to boats with single decks but may also beused with other boats that have multiple decks such as a flybridge.

A user may turn the boat 100 by rotating a steering wheel 312 located atthe control console 300. Any suitable steering system that isappropriate for the propulsion system may be used. For example, when theboat 100 is an inboard, the boat may be turned by a main rudderpositioned aft of the propeller or the rudder system shown and describedin U.S. Pat. No. 9,611,009, which is incorporated by reference herein inits entirety.

The boat 100 includes a horizontal swim platform 106 attached to thetransom 114 to make it easier for people to get into the water from theboat 100 or into the boat 100 from the water. A top view of the swimplatform 106 is shown in FIG. 2, but the swim platform is omitted fromFIG. 1 for clarity. The swim platform 106 should be capable ofsupporting a human and is preferably capable of supporting at least 500lbs., and even more preferably 1250 lbs. The swim platform 106 may beconstructed from any suitable material that may be used in a marineenvironment including, for example, fiberglass or teak. In thisembodiment, the swim platform 105 is attached to the transom 114 of theboat 100 using two brackets screwed to the transom 114; however, theswim platform 106 may be attached to the transom 114 by any suitablemeans. While the swim platform 106 is described as anattachable/detachable platform, it is not so limited. For example, theswim platform 106 may be integrally formed with the stern of the boat100.

The boat 100 may include the capability to add ballast 140. Ballast maybe used to increase the weight and displacement of the boat 100 andincrease the size of the wake for water sports such as wakeboarding orwake surfing. Any suitable means to add ballast may be used includingballast bags (sacks) or ballast tanks. The boat 100 shown in FIG. 1includes three ballast tanks. Preferably, two ballast tanks arepositioned in the stern of the boat near the bottom of the hull, one oneach side of the boat (port ballast tank 142 and a starboard ballasttank 144), and a third ballast tank 146 (see FIG. 10) is positionedalong the boat's centerline near the bottom of the hull, forward of thetwo stern ballast tanks 142, 144. Ballast bags may be used in additionto the ballast tanks 142, 144, 146 and may be plumbed into the ballastsystem of the boat 100. Preferably, the ballast bags are positionedabove the stern ballast tanks 142, 144 in a compartment underneath theaft-facing seats 136. Both the ballast tanks 142, 144, 146 and theballast bags operate similarly in that water may be pumped into the tankor bag by ballast pumps 148 (see FIG. 16) to add weight.

The boat 100 may be equipped with surf devices 152, 154, which may beused to shape the wake of the boat for wake surfing. Any suitable surfdevices may be used including, for example, the port and starboardwake-modifying devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,833,286, which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Each of the port andstarboard surf devices 152, 154 includes a plate-like member that ispivotably attached to the transom 114 of the boat 100. The plate-likemembers pivot about pivot axes to move between a non-deployed positionand a deployed position. In this embodiment, the pivot axes are hinges.Here, the hinges are piano hinges that are welded to a leading portionof each plate-like member and attached to the transom 114 of the boat100 using screws. However, any suitable pivotable connection may be usedand may be affixed to the transom 114 of the boat 100 and the port andstarboard surf devices 152, 154 using any suitable means, including butnot limited to bolts, screws, rivets, welding, and epoxy. Each of theport and starboard surf devices 152, 154 also may include one or moredownturned and/or upturned surfaces, such as downturned surfaces at thetrailing edge of the plate-like members that are angled at a downwardangle relative to the plate-like member. However, as noted above, anysuitable surf device may be used and other suitable surf devices mayinclude, for example, the port and starboard wake-modifying devicesdisclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0175242, whichis incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

As shown in FIG. 1, the boat 100 is also equipped with a central trimdevice (center tab 156) positioned to span the centerline 102 of theboat. Any suitable trim device may be used, but in this embodiment, thecenter tab 156 is a generally rectangular trim tab that is pivotablyattached to the transom 114 of the boat 100. The center tab 156 includesa plate-like member and pivots about a pivot axis to move between anon-deployed position and a deployed position. Like the pivot axes ofthe surf devices 152, 154, the pivot axis of the center tab 156 may beany suitable pivotable connection affixed to the transom 114 of the boat100.

Each of the surf devices 152, 154 and the center tab 156 is moveablebetween the deployed position and the non-deployed position by a drivemechanism 158. In the embodiment shown, one drive mechanism 158 is usedfor each surf device 152, 154 and the center tab 156, allowing them tobe independently operated. Each of the drive mechanisms 158 shown inthis embodiment is a linear actuator. The linear actuator preferably isan electric linear actuator, such as one available from Lenco Marine.One end of the linear actuator is connected to the transom 114 of theboat 100 and the other end is connected to the surf device 152, 154 orcenter tab 156. Any suitable means may be used to move the surf devices152, 154 and the center tab 156 between the deployed and non-deployedpositions, including but not limited to hydraulic linear actuators, gasassist pneumatic actuators, and electrical motors.

The boat 100 is also equipped with an apparatus for towing a watersports participant. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the towing apparatus is atower 160 that is particularly used for towing a wakeboarder. Anysuitable tower 160 may be used including, for example, those describedin U.S. Pat. No. 9,580,155 and U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/628,791, which are incorporated by reference herein in theirentireties. The tower 160 includes two legs: a port leg 162 and astarboard leg 164. The port leg 162 is attached on the port side of thecenterline 102 of the boat 100, and the starboard leg 164 is attached onthe starboard side of the centerline 102 of the boat 100. Preferably,the port and starboard legs 162, 164 are attached to the port gunwale122 and to the starboard gunwale 124, respectively. The tower 160 alsoincludes a header 166. The header 166 is connected to an upper portionof each of the two legs 162, 164 and spans the interior 130 of the boat100 at a height suitable for passengers to pass underneath whilestanding. In addition, the tower 160 has a tow-line-attachment structure168 at an upper portion of the tower 160 (the header 166 in thisembodiment). This tow-line-attachment structure 168 may be used toconnect a tow-line suitable for towing a water sports participant, suchas a wakeboarder. Any suitable tow-line-attachment structure may beused, including but not limited to the integrated light andtow-line-attachment assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,539,886, whichis incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

The boat 100 has a deck 170 which includes a floor 172. Passengerseating, such as port and starboard bench seating 182, 184, 186, 188 inboth the bow seating area 132 and primary seating area 134, may beconstructed on elevated portions (seat support structures 174) of thedeck 130. As used herein, these portions are elevated with respect tothe level of the floor 172. Other seating locations within the boat'sinterior 130 include a captain's chair 192 at the control console 300and a reversible bench seat 194. Although the invention is describedwith reference to a particular seating arrangement, different seatingarrangements are contemplated to be within the scope of the invention.

The deck 170 also includes two support structures 176, 178 (elevatedportions of the deck), one on the starboard side 176 of the boat 100 andone on the port side 178 of the boat 100. As shown in more detail inFIG. 3, the support structure on the starboard side 176 is the controlconsole support and is used to support and enclose various controls foroperating the boat 100 (discussed further below). As shown in moredetail in FIG. 4, the support structure 178 on the port side of the boat100 supports a passenger side console 302. The support structure 178 onthe port side of the boat 100 is opposite the control console support176. Together the two support structures 174, 176 separate the bowseating area 132 from the primary seating area 134 as seen in FIG. 2. Awalkway 138 connects the bow seating area 132 with the primary seatingarea 134 and separates the two support structures 174, 176.

The windshield 104 is mounted, in part, on forward portions of thesupport structures 174, 176. In this embodiment, the windshield 104 ismounted directly to a forward portion of the support structures 174, 176and the gunwales 122, 124. Near the walkway 138 or centerline 102 of theboat 100, the windshield 104 is oriented such that it is perpendicularto the centerline 102 of the boat 100. Moving outboard from thecenterline 102 of the boat 100, the windshield 104 is curved such thatit smoothly transitions to an orientation that is parallel to orco-planar with the port or starboard side of the hull 116, 118 near thegunwales 122, 124, which in this embodiment is generally parallel to thecenterline 102 of the boat 100.

The boat 100 also includes an audio system 200. Sound is output from theaudio system 200 by speakers 210 positioned throughout the boat 100 (seeFIG. 21). The speakers 210 may be located in any suitable location in oron the boat 100. In this embodiment, at least two speakers are attachedto the tower 160 and are positioned to direct sound in an aft direction.These are referred to herein as tower speakers 212 and may be used, forexample, to project sound outside of the boat and, when applicable, to awatersport participant, such as a wakeboarder, surfer, or skier.Preferably, the tower speakers 212 are attached to the underside of theheader 166.

Speakers may also be positioned within the interior 130 of the boat 100to provide sound to the occupants of the boat. For example, two speakersmay be located in the bow 112 of the boat (bow speakers 214) to projectsound in the bow seating area 132, and two speakers (cockpit speakers216) may be located in the primary seating area 134 to project soundinto the primary seating area 134. The interior 130 of the boat 100includes port and starboard sidewalls 126, 128. The bow speakers 214 andcockpit speakers 216 may be located on port and starboard sidewalls 126,128 and below the gunwales 122, 124.

With the bow speakers 214 and cockpit speakers 216 located below thegunwales 122, 124, much of the sound emanating from these speakers 214,216 will be projected at a level that is lower than an occupant's ear.Even when seated, an occupant's head (for the typical adult and manyschool age children) will be above the level of the gunwales 122, 124and thus the speakers 214, 216. It is desirable, however, to positionspeakers that direct sound toward the occupant's ears. The inventorshave found that this can be accomplished by positioning the speakerssuch that sound is reflected off of surfaces within the boat 100 andtoward the occupant's ears. In this embodiment, two dash speakers 218are positioned to reflect the sound off the windshield 104 in an aftdirection. One dash speaker 218 is located in the control console 300and the other is located in the passenger side console 302, although anysuitable number of dash speakers 218 may be used, including multiplespeakers located in each console 300, 302.

The speakers 212, 214, 218 are preferably marine grade speakers designedfor the marine environment (e.g., sealed electrical components andmaterials suitable for the marine environment). For example, thespeakers 212, 214, 218 may be high fidelity marine grade speakers withcast aluminum baskets and a titanium horn. The speakers may be roundspeakers having a diameter of 7 inches or 8.5 inches. Any suitablespeakers 212, 214, 218 may be used.

A detailed view of the control console 300 is shown in FIG. 3, and FIG.5 is a cross-section view of the control console taken along line 5-5 inFIG. 2. A dash 320 houses instrumentation, displays, and controls forthe boat 100, as will be discussed in further detail below. The dash 320is supported by the control console support 176 and is positionedproximate the windshield 104. The dash 320 includes at least one uppersurface 322. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the dash 320 hasmultiple upper surfaces 322, 324 that are not co-planar with each other.In this embodiment, a generally horizontal upper surface 322 isgenerally parallel to the floor 172, and an angled upper surface 324 isslanted at a non-zero angle relative to the floor 172.

A detailed view of the passenger side console 302 is shown in FIG. 4,and like the control console 300, the passenger side console 302 alsoincludes a dash 304 that is positioned proximate the windshield 104.Although the following description describes the dash speaker 218located in the control console 300, the description is also applicableto the dash speaker 218 located in the passenger side console 302.

The dash speaker 218 is positioned below at least one of the topsurfaces 322, 324 of the dash 320. In this embodiment, the dash speaker218 is positioned below the angled upper surface 324, and the angledupper surface 324 includes an opening 326 for the dash speaker 218. Theopening 326 is configured to allow sound waves emanating from the dashspeaker 218 to pass through the angled upper surface 324 of the dash320. In this embodiment, a grille 328 covers the opening 326 (see FIG.2). The grille 328 protects the speaker and can be a decorative elementon the dash 320. The grille 328 preferably is designed to minimize anyeffect of the grille 328 on the sound emanating from the dash speaker218. The grille 328 is omitted from FIG. 5 for clarity.

The windshield 104 extends upward from the generally horizontal uppersurface 322 of the dash 320 and, in this embodiment, from the controlconsole support 176, to which the windshield 104 is mounted. Thewindshield 104 is slanted with respect to the floor 172 (or thegenerally horizontal upper surface 322 of the dash 320). In thisembodiment, the windshield 104 is inclined at a non-zero angle (angle α)with respect to the floor 172 (or the generally horizontal upper surface322 of the dash 320). Preferably angle α is between 30 degrees and 45degrees. As a result of the slant, the windshield 104 extends over theopening 326 in the dash 320. In this embodiment, the portion of thewindshield 104 that extends over the opening 326 in the dash 320 is agenerally planar surface, but it can also be curved. This curvature notonly includes curvature in the inboard and outboard directions (e.g., asthe windshield 104 transitions between the orientation of the windshield104 near the centerline 102 of the boat and the orientation of thewindshield 104 at the gunwales 122, 124), but also curvature in the foreand aft directions.

The dash speaker 218 is oriented to project sound upward, through theopening 326 and toward the windshield 104. As can be seen in FIG. 5, thesound waves 222 emanating from the speaker pass through the opening 326and toward the windshield 104 in a direction represented by a centerline224 of the sound waves 222. As shown in FIG. 6, the sound waves 222 thenreflect off of the windshield 104 as reflected sound waves 226 in adirection represented by a centerline 228 of the reflected sound waves226. The reflected sound waves 226 are reflected off the windshield 104in an aft direction and into the primary seating area 134. For clarityin the following descriptions and figures, centerlines (such ascenterlines 224, 228) will be used illustrate and describe the behaviorof sound waves emanating from the various speakers discussed herein.

The relative orientation of the dash speaker 218 and the windshield 104can be controlled so that the reflected sound waves 226 are directedtoward the ears 202 of a person 204 located in a listening position. Asshown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the listening position may be, for example, thecaptain's chair 192 at the control console 300, and in particular, theear level of a person 204 seated in the captain's chair 192. Preferably,the ear level of a person 204 seated in the captain's chair 192 (orother position) is set in a range from the sitting height of the fifthpercentile female to the sitting height of the ninety-fifth percentilemale, which is preferably between 30 inches and 60 inches above thefloor. More preferably, the sound is directed to a location that isbetween 38 inches and 54 inches above the floor. Other suitablelistening positions within the boat 100 include the reversible benchseat 194 or the port and starboard bench seating 186, 188 in the primaryseating area 134, and in particular, the ear level of a person seated inone of those locations.

The dash speaker 218 is preferably inclined relative to the floor 172(or the generally horizontal upper surface 322 of the dash 320). In thisembodiment, dash speaker 218 is inclined at a non-zero angle (angle β)with respect to the floor 172 (or the generally horizontal upper surface322 of the dash 320). Preferably angle β is between 1 degree and 20degrees, and more preferably it is between 5 degrees and 15 degrees.Because the angle of incident sound waves 222 equals the angle ofreflected sound waves 226, the angle of the dash speaker 218 (angle β)and the angle of the windshield 104 (angle α) are coordinated to directthe reflected sound waves 226 to the desired listening position. Inaddition to directing the sound for an improved listening experience,inclining the dash speaker 218 has a number of other benefits. Forexample, water is a concern in the marine environment. Inclining thedash speaker 218 at a non-zero angle (angle β) with respect to the floor172 can help prevent water damage to the speaker 218 because incliningthe speaker 218 prevents or minimizes water from pooling therein.

Although this embodiment has been described with a single dash speaker218 under the dash 320, any suitable number of speakers may be used.When multiple dash speakers 218 are used in the same console 300, thedash speakers 218 may be inclined at the same angle (angle β) ordifferent angles. They may be positioned and inclined (angle β) suchthat the reflected sound waves 226 are directed toward the samelistening position or toward different listing positions. When directedtoward the same listening position, one speaker may be directed towardthe left ear of a person 204 seated in the listening position andanother speaker may be directed toward the right ear of the person 204to provide stereo sound. When multiple dash speakers 218 are used, thesound emanating from each speaker 218 may be directed through the sameopening 326 or through different openings 326 formed in the dash 320.

In FIGS. 5 and 6, the dash speaker 218 is located within the dash 320,below the upper surface 324 of the dash 320. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectiontaken along line 5-5 in FIG. 2 showing an alternative assembly of thecontrol console 300 and, in particular, the dash speaker 218. In thisembodiment, the dash speaker 218 is mounted below the generallyhorizontal upper surface 322, at the bottom 412 of a dash speakerenclosure 410. The enclosure 410 may be used, for example, to provideaesthetic or cosmetic benefits, in addition to providing long-termenvironmental protection. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the dashspeaker enclosure 410 is integrally formed in the deck 170 and, inparticular, the control console support 176. However, the enclosure 410is not limited to this construction and may, for example, be a separateassembly mounted to the control console support 176 or dash 320.

The dash speaker 218 and dash speaker enclosure 410 are shown in FIG.8A. In this embodiment, the dash speaker enclosure 410 has a generallycubic structure with each of four sidewalls 414 intersecting an adjacentsidewall 414 and the bottom 412 at a right angle. The bottom 412 isinclined at the angle β with respect to the floor. The top of the dashspeaker enclosure 410 includes an opening 416, and the dash speakerenclosure 410 is positioned to allow the sound waves 222 emanating fromthe speaker 218 to pass out of the enclosure 410 through the opening 416in the top of the enclosure 410 and the opening 326 in the dash 320.Although shown as a generally cubic structure, the dash speakerenclosure 410 may have any suitable geometric shape including, forexample, a cylindrical shape.

As discussed above, multiple dash speakers 218 may be positioned in thecontrol console 300. FIGS. 8B and 8C show alternative dash speakerenclosures 410 and provide examples of how multiple speakers 218 may beused with the dash speaker enclosure 410. In FIG. 8B, two dash speakers218 are mounted to the bottom 412 of the same enclosure 410, and in FIG.8C, each speaker 218 is mounted to the bottom 412 of a differentenclosure 410.

The sound waves emanating from the dash speaker 218 may be reflected offof other surfaces in addition to the windshield 104 before reaching thelistening position. FIG. 9 is a cross-section taken along line 5-5 inFIG. 2 showing another alternative dash speaker enclosure 410. In thisembodiment, the dash speaker 218 is mounted on one of the sidewalls 414of the enclosure 410, instead of the bottom 412. Here the dash speaker218 is mounted at an inclination angle β that is perpendicular to thefloor. The sound waves emanating from the speaker 218 travel in thedirection indicated by centerline 224. Before being reflected off of thewindshield 104, the sound waves are reflected off of a reflectivesurface 418 and travel in the direction indicated by centerline 228 a.In this embodiment, the reflective surface 418 is an inner surface ofone of the sidewalls 414 of the enclosure the enclosure 410. After beingreflected off of the reflective surface 418, the sound waves travelthrough the openings 326, 416 in both the enclosure 410 and the dash320, and are then reflected off of the windshield 104 aft toward alistening position (in the direction indicated by centerline 228 b). Theangle (angle γ) of the reflective surface 418 is coordinated with theangle of the dash speaker 218 (angle β) and the angle of the windshield104 (angle α) to direct the reflected sound waves 226 to the desiredlistening position. In this embodiment, the angle (angle γ) of thereflective surface 418 is at a non-zero angle with respect to the floor172.

Using an enclosure to direct the sound to listening positions may beuseful in other speaker applications, including, for example, asubwoofer 220. Subwoofers 220 are often large and heavy, which limitsthe mounting locations for the subwoofers 220 when directly emittingsound to the passenger compartments such as the bow and primary seatingareas 132, 134. These mounting structures, such as the seat supportstructures 174, likewise impose limitations on the size of the subwoofer220 they are capable of supporting. The distribution of weight in aboat, particularly a boat used for wake surfing and wakeboarding, isalso an important consideration. A subwoofer enclosure 420 may thus beadvantageous, for example, because it enables flexibility in thepositioning and mounting locations of the subwoofer 220.

One suitable location for a subwoofer enclosure 420 is in a cavity 442formed between the deck 170 and the hull 110. FIG. 10 shows the hull 110of the boat 100 with the deck 170 removed. (Also visible in FIG. 10 arethe two stern ballast tanks 142, 144 and the third ballast tank 146.)The longitudinal stringers 444 and athwartship stringers 446 can beconsidered to create multiple cavities 442 between the deck 170 and thehull 110. A subwoofer enclosure 420 may be suitably located in one ofthese cavities 442. Placing the subwoofer 220 in one of these cavitiespositions a heavy subwoofer 220 low in the boat 100, lowering the boat'scenter of gravity.

The subwoofer enclosure 420 is shown in FIG. 11, and FIG. 12 is across-section of the subwoofer enclosure 420 taken along plane 12-12 inFIG. 10. The subwoofer enclosure may have any suitable geometry, but inthis embodiment, the subwoofer enclosure 420 has the geometry of aninverted L-shape. The subwoofer enclosure has a bottom 422, walls 424,and an opening 426. A grille 328 may be formed over the opening 426. Thesubwoofer 220 is mounted at the bottom 422 of the subwoofer enclosure422. In this embodiment, the subwoofer 220 (and also the bottom 422 ofthe subwoofer enclosure 420) is mounted to the boat 100 such that thesubwoofer 220 is generally parallel to the floor 172 of the boat.However, the subwoofer 220 (and also the bottom 422 of the subwooferenclosure 420) may be mounted at a non-zero angle (angle δ) relative tothe floor 172, as shown in FIG. 13, for example. FIG. 13 is across-section of an alternative subwoofer enclosure 420 taken alongplane 12-12 in FIG. 10.

The sound waves emanating from the subwoofer 220 travel in the directionindicated by centerline 224, which in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 12and 13 is upward. The sound waves are then reflected off of a reflectivesurface 428 and travel in the direction indicated by centerline 228. Inthis embodiment, the reflective surface 428 is an inner surface of oneof the walls 424 of the enclosure the enclosure 420. The reflected soundwaves then travel in a direction indicated by centerline 228 through theopening 326 and into the primary seating area 134 as can be seen inFIG. 1. The angle (angle ε) of the reflective surface 428 is coordinatedwith the angle of the subwoofer 220 (angle δ) to direct the sound wavesto the desired location. In this embodiment, the angle (angle ε) of thereflective surface 428 is at a non-zero angle with respect to the floor172.

The sound waves emanating from the subwoofer 220 may be reflected off ofmultiple surfaces before reaching the desired location. FIG. 14 is across-section of another alternative subwoofer enclosure 420 taken alongplane 12-12 in FIG. 10. In this embodiment, the sound waves emanatingfrom the subwoofer 220 are reflected off of two reflective surfaces 432,434, which are two inner surfaces of the walls 424 of the subwooferenclosure 420. As with the previous embodiments, the reflective surfaces432, 434 are not limited to walls 424 of the subwoofer enclosure 420 andmay be other suitable surfaces on or within the boat 100.

The subwoofer 220 is mounted on a wall 424 of the enclosure with aninclination angle (angle δ) that is perpendicular to the floor 172. Thesound waves emanating from the subwoofer 220 are directed in thedirection indicated by centerline 224 and are reflected off of the firstreflective surface 432 in a direction indicated by centerline 228 a. Thefirst reflective surface 432 is oriented at a non-zero angle (angle ζ)with respect to the floor 172. The sound waves are then reflected off ofthe second reflective surface 434 (in a direction indicated bycenterline 228 b), through the opening 426, and into the primary seatingarea 134. The second reflective surface 434 is oriented at a non-zeroangle (angle η) with respect to the floor 172. The angles (angles ζ andη) of the reflective surfaces 432, 434 are coordinated with each otherand the angle of the subwoofer (angle δ) to direct the reflected soundwaves to the desired listening position.

The subwoofer 220 and subwoofer enclosure 420 may be configured todirect sound into other seating areas and listening positions in theboat 100, including for example the bow seating area 132 as shown inFIG. 15. Here, the enclosure may be positioned in a cavity 442 to theport side of the third ballast tank 146. Instead of being located in thecavity and directing sound upward, the subwoofer enclosure 420 may bearranged such that it is above the deck 170 and may be included in thepassenger side console 302. In this embodiment, for example, the soundwaves emanating from the subwoofer 220 may be initially directed forwardand then reflected off of reflective surface 418 into the bow seatingarea 132.

The audio system 200 described herein includes features that areintegrated with the control system 500 of the boat. Additional detailsof the audio system 200 will be described after describing the controlsystem 500 of the boat. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of the controlsystem 500 for the boat 100 shown in FIG. 1. Various features of thecontrol system 500 may also be seen in FIG. 3.

The control system 500 includes a controller 510. In this embodiment,the controller 510 is a microprocessor-based controller that includes aprocessor 512 for performing various functions, discussed further below,and a memory 514 for storing various data. The controller 510 may alsobe referred to as a CPU. In one embodiment, the various methodsdiscussed below may be implemented by way of a series of instructionsstored in the memory 514 and executed by the processor 512.

The controller 510 is communicatively coupled to at least one displayscreen 520. In this embodiment, the controller 510 is communicativelycoupled to two display screens, a center display 522 and a side display524. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the center display 522 is located at thetop of the dash 320 above and forward of the steering wheel 312. Thecenter display 522 is positioned and oriented so that the operator canbe aware the information displayed on the center display 522 withoutsubstantially deviating his or her attention from the boat's heading. Inthis embodiment, for example, the operator is able to view theinformation displayed on the center display 522 without turning his orher head. With this positioning in mind and as will be discussed furtherbelow, the control system 500 is designed to display information on thecenter display 522 that is pertinent to the operator of the boat 100while he or she is operating the boat 100 and not overburden him or herwith information that is not relevant to the type of operation for whichhe or she is currently using the boat 100.

In this embodiment, the center display 522 is a 12-inch display having agenerally rectangular shape in a landscape orientation and roundedinboard and outboard edges. The shape of the rounded inboard andoutboard edges corresponds to the shape of the digital gauges discussedbelow. Although the center display 522 may be a touchscreen, the centerdisplay 522 in this particular embodiment is not because of thepositioning of the center display 522 and the type of informationdisplayed on it. The positioning of the center display 522 makes itdifficult or awkward for a user to reach with his or her hand, so to theextent user-selectable options are displayed on the center display 522,they may be selected by using a switch pad 530 or another suitable inputdevice 540.

Many of the input devices 540 (operator controls) on the boat 100 areconveniently located on the control console 300 to the side of thesteering wheel 312. In this embodiment, the input devices 540 arelocated on the outboard side of the steering wheel 312 and can beconveniently operated by the operator's right hand. One of the maininput devices 540 is the side display 524. In this embodiment, the sidedisplay 524 is a 10 inch, rectangular, touchscreen display that has aportrait orientation.

The side display 524, in concert with the center display 522, enablesthe use of dynamic controls. Users view the boat through differentactivity lenses. Put another way, users view the boat based on the typeof activity they want to do. Instead of providing user-selectableoptions for every major feature of the boat on the side display 524(and/or center display 522), the user-selectable controls displayed onthe side display 524 and the corresponding information presented on thecenter display 522 are dynamic and change depending upon how the boat iscurrently being used. This dynamic control system thus provides auser-friendly interface for operating the boat 100.

In this embodiment, the dynamic control system is implemented by modes.Each different mode corresponds to a different activity, and each modeincludes a plurality of controls corresponding to the activity of themode. The plurality of controls of each mode is a subset of the majorcontrols of the boat. There are three different modes (a drive mode, atow mode, and a chill mode) in this embodiment, and when a mode isactivated, the controller 510 displays on the side display 524 theplurality of controls in that mode. Similarly, each mode also includes aplurality of parameters of the boat (also referred to herein asoperational parameters) corresponding to the activity of the mode. Theseoperational parameters are also a subset of the major operationalparameters of the boat. The information displayed on the center display522 changes based on the active mode, and the controller 510 displays onthe center display 522 the plurality of parameters of the boatcorresponding to the activity of the mode. The plurality of controls andplurality of operational parameters for each of the three modes in thisembodiment will be described in further detail below.

Other input devices 540 (controls) include the switch pad 530, anignition button 542, and other static buttons and switches that are partof a switch pack 544. The buttons and switches of the switch pack 544may be used to control various aspects of the boat 100. For example, theswitch pack 544 may include a rocker switch to increase and decrease thevolume of the audio system 200, as well as a mute button. Other buttonsor switches of the switch pack 544 may be used to fill or empty theballast 140 and to raise or lower the surf devices 152, 154 and centertab 156.

Located near the control console 300 on the starboard side wall 128 is akeyed switch 314. A key 316 unique to the boat can be inserted in theswitch 314 and then rotated to turn on (or off) the electrical system ofthe boat. With the key 316 in the on position, an operator can press theignition button 542 to turn on (or off) the engine 550. Also locatednear the control console 300 on the starboard side wall 128 is a controllever 318 to operate a throttle 552 of the engine 550 and engage theengine 550 with the drive shaft. The control lever 318 has a neutralposition, and the operator may move the control lever 318 forward fromthe neutral position to engage a running gear with the drive shaft,accelerate the engine 550 using the throttle 552, and rotate thepropeller to drive the boat 100 forward. To move the boat 100 inreverse, the operator may move the control lever 318 back from theneutral position to engage a reverse gear with the drive shaft,accelerate the engine 550 using the throttle 552, and rotate thepropeller.

When the key 316 is rotated to turn on the electrical system of theboat, the controller 510 boots up in a default mode. In this embodiment,the default mode is the drive mode. The controller 510 displays, at thetop of the side display 524, a plurality of user-selectable options tochange between modes (see FIGS. 17C, 19C, 19D, 19E, and 20C). Theplurality of user-selectable options are icons displayed on the sidedisplay 524 that may be selected by a user pressing the icon. The termsicon, virtual button, and button will be used interchangeably herein todescribe these and other user-selectable options displayed by thecontroller 510 on the side display 524. One of the buttons 702 activatesthe drive mode, and another button 704 activates the chill mode. Thereare three different modes in the tow mode, and each of these three modescan be considered a sub-mode. One of these three sub-modes can beactivated by selecting one of three buttons 706 a, 706 b, 706 c. In thisembodiment, a user can change between the various modes, with thecontrol lever 318 in the neutral position, by selecting one of thebuttons 702, 704, 706 a, 706 b, 706 c corresponding to the desired mode.The controller 510 may also be configured to automatically switchbetween modes. For example, the controller 510 may automatically switchfrom the chill mode to the drive mode when the speed of the boat exceedsa predetermined speed. As discussed below, the controller 510 iscommunicatively coupled to a GPS system 562 and may be configured toreceive the speed of the boat from the GPS system 562. With the chillmode active, the controller 510 compares the speed of the boat to apredetermined threshold (e.g., two miles per hour). When the speed ofthe boat exceeds the predetermined threshold, the controller 510 thenactivates the drive mode.

Various different visual indicators may be used with the displays 522,524 to distinguish between modes. For example, each different mode mayhave a different color scheme. In this embodiment, for example, all ofthe modes have a common background (black and grays), but the accentcolor changes with the mode. In the drive mode, the accent color iswhite. In the tow mode, the accent colors are red and orange. And, inthe chill mode, the accent color is blue.

Starting first with the drive mode, each of the modes in this embodimentwill now be described. The drive mode corresponds to the activity ofdriving from one location to another (point-to-point transportation).For example, this mode corresponds to traveling from the dock to alocation where the boat will be used for water sports and/or returningto the dock from that location after doing so. The drive mode may besuitably used, however, when the boat is transiting between any numberof suitable locations including, for example, the places where the boatwill be used for the activities discussed below relative to the chillmode or just general cruising. The information displayed on the centerdisplay 522 and the controls on the side display 524 thus correspond topoint-to-point transportation. FIGS. 17A and 17B show two configurationsof the center display 522 in the drive mode, and FIG. 17C shows theconfiguration of the side display 524 in the drive mode.

Operational parameters of the boat that are pertinent to point-to-pointtransportation include, for example, the speed of the boat 100; thespeed of the engine 550; cruise control, including set speed; waterdepth; the temperature of the engine 550; total accumulated operatinghours of the engine 550; the voltage of the battery 554; and fuel level.In this embodiment, the controller 510 displays each of these parameterson the center display 522 when in the drive mode. Other parameters thatare measured or tracked by the boat 100 and controller 510 may also beconsidered operational parameters of the boat 100 and can include, forexample, the water temperature, the air temperature, and time of day.These other parameters may also be displayed by the controller 510 onthe center display 522 when operating in drive mode. In addition tomeasured values, other operational parameters that can be displayed onthe center display 522 by the controller 510 when operating in drivemode include digital navigation charts (or maps), camera views, and anidentifier of the audio sound being played through the audio system 200.

In more detail, the controller 510 displays these parameters of the boat100 on the center display 522 as shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B. In theconfiguration shown in FIG. 17A, the center display 522 contains twodigital gauges, one on the left (inboard) 610 and one on the right(outboard) 620, that resemble analog gauges. The left gauge 610 is adigital speedometer gauge. The controller 510 is communicatively coupledto a GPS system 562, or other suitable speed sensing device, andreceives the speed of the boat 100 from the GPS system. The controller510 then displays, using an indicator such as a bar 612 that rotatesabout a central axis of the left gauge 610 next to a scale 614, thecurrent speed of the boat 100. The scale 614 includes marks and numeralsindicating the speed of the boat 100 in miles per hour, for example.Instead of the bar 612, any suitable indicator may be used, such as arotatable image that resembles a needle on an analog gauge. The currentspeed of the boat 100 may also be digitally displayed on the upper half616 a of the center 616 of the left gauge 610. On the lower half 616 bof the center 616 of the left gauge 610, an indicator may be displayedto indicate if cruise control is on and the speed at which the cruisecontrol is set.

The right gauge 620 is a digital tachometer gauge. The controller 510 iscommunicatively coupled to the engine 550 and receives the speed of theengine 550 from the engine 550. The controller 510 then displays, usingan indicator such as a bar 622 that rotates about a central axis of theright gauge 620 next to a scale 624, the current speed of the engine550. The scale 624 includes marks and numerals indicating the speed ofthe engine 550 in revolutions per minute (RPM) of the crankshaft, forexample. Instead of the bar 622, any suitable indicator may be used,such as a rotatable image that resembles a needle on an analog gauge.The current speed of the engine 550 may also be digitally displayed inthe center 626 of the right gauge 620.

Between the left and right gauges 610, 620 is a center screen 630. Thecenter screen 630 can be used to display information pertinent totraveling from one point to another. For example, an operator may selectone of three options to display on the center screen 630. These threeoptions may include a digital navigation map, a camera (such as a videocamera 564 positioned near the towline attachment structure 168 on thetower 160), and information from the audio system 200. An operator mayuse the left and right buttons 533, 554 of the switch pad 530 (see FIG.18) to navigate between three user-selectable virtual buttons, a mapbutton 632, a camera button 634, and an audio button 636. The OK button536 may be used to acknowledge notification information, as discussedbelow. The center display 522 with the map button 632 selected is shownin FIGS. 17A and 17B. The center display 522 with the camera button 634selected is shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B. The center display 522 with theaudio button 634 selected is shown in FIGS. 20A and 20B.

When the user selects the map option, the controller 510 displaysnavigation information including a navigation map 638 and position 640of the boat 100 on the center screen 630. In particular, the controller510 retrieves a navigation map 638 stored in the memory 514 and displaysa portion of the map 638 on the center screen 630. The controller 510also receives the location of the boat 100 from the GPS system 562 anduses the location of the boat 100 to determine which portion of the map638 is displayed. The controller 510 displays the portion of the map 638corresponding to the boat's current location and overlays a visualindicator 640 of the boat's current position on the map 638. Althoughthese features have been described as being stored in the memory 514 ofthe controller 510 using the processor 512 of the controller 510, thesefunctions may also be implemented by the GPS system 562. In that case,when the map option is selected, the controller 510 retrieves from theGPS system 562 the navigation information and displays the navigationinformation on the center screen 630.

When the user selects the camera option, the controller 510 displays aportion of the video feed of the camera 564 on the center screen 630, asshown in FIGS. 19A and 19B. When the user selects the audio systemoption, the controller 510 displays information from the audio system200 (audio system information) on the center screen 630. This audiosystem information may include, for example, information relating to theaudio source and the type of audio being played, such as the album coverartwork from the album corresponding to the song being played togetherwith the duration of the song and the current location in the song, asshown in FIGS. 20A and 20B.

The center screen 530 may also be used to display notificationinformation. For example, the controller 510 may be coupled to varioussensors, for example, a temperature sensor 556 located in the engine550. When these sensors send (and the controller 510 receives) a signal,the controller 510 may display on the center screen 630 of the centerdisplay 522 an indicator related to the parameter measured by thesensor. An indicator may be a warning or a danger symbol indicating thata component on the boat requires service or may be at risk of failure.The engine temperature sensor 556, which is communicatively coupled tothe controller 510, measures the engine temperature and sends thetemperature to the controller 510, for example. When the enginetemperature exceeds a predetermined threshold, the controller 510displays a high engine temperature warning on the center screen 630.Other notification information may relate to notifications from theaudio system 200. When a phone is connected to the audio system 200, forexample, the audio system may transmit to the controller 510 (and thecontroller 510 receives), notifications received or generated on thephone, such as when a call is received by the phone, the phone numberand name of the originator of the call.

In this embodiment, the other operational parameters related topoint-to-point transportation are displayed above and below the centerscreen 630. In a top section 642 above the center screen 630, thecontroller 510 displays a logo related to the boat manufacturer,MasterCraft® in this embodiment, the time of day and engine hoursbetween the logo and the left gauge 610, and the air temperature andwater temperature between the logo and the right gauge 620. In a bottomsection 644 below the center screen 630, the controller 510 displays thewater depth, the engine temperature, the mode, the voltage of thebattery 554, and fuel level.

The controller 510 is communicatively coupled to various sensors thatmay be used to measure each of the parameters displayed in the sectionsin the top and bottom sections 642, 644 (see FIG. 16). The controller510 may also include features to track and calculate these parametersdisplayed in the top and bottom sections 642, 644. In this embodiment,the controller 510 may include a clock which is used to calculate thetime of day. As discussed above, the controller 510 is communicativelycoupled to the engine 550 and may receive from the engine 550 the totaloperating hours of the engine 550. The controller 510 may also becommunicatively coupled to an air temperature sensor 566 and a watertemperature sensor 568. The air temperature sensor 566 and the watertemperature sensor 568 measure the air and water temperatures,respectively, and then transmit (and the controller 510 receives) thesetemperatures. The controller 510 may be communicatively coupled to adepth sounder 570 located on the keel of the boat to receive the depthof the water under the keel as measured by the depth sounder 570. Thecontroller 510 is also communicatively coupled to a voltmeterelectrically connected to the battery 554, and the controller 510receives the voltage of the battery 554 as measured by the voltmeter.The controller 510 may also be communicatively coupled to a float, oranother suitable sensor, located in the fuel tank 558 of the boat 100and the controller receives the level of the fuel as measured by thefloat.

The center display 522 also includes an expanded view as shown in FIG.17B. In the expanded view, the digital gauges are removed allowing for awider view of the information that is displayed on the center screen630. As shown in FIG. 17B, for example, more of the map 638 may beshown. When in the expanded view, the information that was displayed onthe left and right gauges 610, 620 may still be displayed on the centerdisplay 522. In this embodiment, for example, the speed of the boat 100is digitally displayed in a section 646 to the left of the bottomsection 644 and the engine speed is digitally displayed in a section 648to the right of the bottom section 644. An operator may switch from thestandard view (FIGS. 17A, 19A, and 20A) to the expanded view (FIGS. 17B,19B, and 20B), and vice versa, by pressing the down button 532 and theup button 531 of the switch pad 530, respectively.

FIG. 17C shows the side display 524 in the drive mode. In each of themodes, the side display 524 is divided, having an upper section 712 anda lower section 714. In this embodiment, the lower section 714 comprisesa larger area of the side display 524 than the upper section 712 in thedrive mode, but other divisions may be suitable, including roughly inhalf. Many of the plurality of controls that correspond topoint-to-point transportation are displayed on the upper section 712 ofthe side display 524. In this embodiment, for example, a cruise controlbutton 722 is prominently located in the center of the upper section712. When the cruise control button 722 is selected, the controller 510receives a signal from the side display 524 to activate cruise control,if off, or deactivate cruise control, if already on. The cruise controlbutton 722 may display the set speed of the cruise control and give anindication if cruise control is on or off such as by turning a differentcolor when active (e.g., green). When a user selects the cruise controlbutton 722 to turn cruise control on, the controller 510 activatescruise control at the set speed stored in the memory 514 of thecontroller 510. Any suitable cruise control may be used including, forexample, GPS-based Zero Off cruise control by Enovation Controls ofTulsa, Okla., in which the controller 510 operates the throttle 552 ofthe engine 550 to maintain the boat 100 at the set speed based on thespeed of the boat received by the GPS system 562. A user can adjust theset speed of the cruise control by using an up arrow button 724 or adown arrow button 726 located above and below, respectively, the cruisecontrol button 722. The up arrow button 724 is used to the increase theset speed for the cruise control stored in the memory 514 of thecontroller 510, and the down arrow button 726 is used to decrease theset speed.

The side display 524, in the drive mode, also includes user-selectableoptions relating to ballast. In particular, the controls correspondingto point-to-point transportation include a fill all button 728 and anempty all button 730. The ballast 140 may take some time to fill(between 5 and 8 minutes, for example), and may also take a similar timeto empty. A user may thus desire to fill the ballast 140 while the boatis driven to a location where water sports will be conducted. Bypressing the fill all button, the controller 510 receives a command tofill the ballast tanks 142, 144, 146 of the boat and sends a signal tothe power distribution module (PDM) 560 to provide power to the ballastpumps 148 for a predetermined amount of time to fill the ballast tanks142, 144, 146. In response, the power distribution module 560 receiveselectrical power from the battery 554 and then transmits power to theballast pumps 148 to fill the ballast tanks 142, 144, 146. Similarly, auser may desire to empty the ballast 140 while the boat 100 is drivenafter the water sports have been completed. By pressing the empty allbutton, the controller 510 receives a command to empty the ballast tanks142, 144, 146 and sends a signal to the power distribution module 560 toprovide power to the ballast pumps 148. In response, the powerdistribution module 560 powers the ballast pumps 148 to empty theballast tanks 142, 144, 146.

The controller 510 also displays a ballast tank fill indicator 732 onthe side display 524 to indicate water level in the ballast tanks 142,144, 146. In this embodiment, the controller 510 calculates the fillpercentage for the ballast tanks 142, 144, 146 based on the time thatthe ballast pumps 148 have operated, but other suitable methods may beused including a sensor in each ballast tank 142, 144, 146, for example.In this particular embodiment, user-selectable options for individualballast tanks 142, 144, 146 or other fill levels are not displayed onthe side display 524 as part of the controls corresponding topoint-to-point transportation. Instead, an operator would need to selectthe ballast tank fill indicator 732 to bring up a pop-up menu to changethe ballast level to a level other than completely full for all tanks orcompletely empty for all ballast tanks 142, 144, 146. A user may alsomanually fill or empty the ballast tanks 142, 144, 146 using a switch inthe switch pack 544 as discussed above.

The side display 524, in the drive mode, also includes user-selectableoptions to activate methods that assist in getting the boat 100 onplane. In this embodiment, the side display 524 includes twouser-selectable options: an AutoLaunch Triple button 734 and anAutoLaunch Single button 732. When a user selects the AutoLaunch Triplebutton 734, a command is received by the controller 510 to activate amethod for getting on plane that uses the port and starboard surfdevices 152, 154 and the center tab 156. Any suitable method may be usedincluding the improved method of getting a boat on plane as shown anddescribed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0214681, whichis incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. In response to thecommand, the controller 510 then activates and implements the method forgetting on plane as the boat 100 is accelerated either by the user orthe controller 510.

When a user selects the AutoLaunch Single button 736, a command isreceived by the controller 510 to activate a method for getting on planethat uses only the center tab 156. Initially, the controller 510 movesthe center tab 156 to its deployed position (to the extent it is notalready in its deployed position) by sending a signal to the powerdistribution module 560, which in turn provides power to the drivemechanism 158 of the center tab 156. As the boat 100 is accelerated,either by the operator or the controller 510, the controller 510monitors the speed of the boat 100 using the GPS system or othersuitable speed sensing device and automatically retracts the center tab156 when the boat 100 reaches a set speed preferably between 15 mph and20 mph. The controller 510 retracts the center tab 156 by sending asignal to the power distribution module 560, which in turn providespower to the drive mechanism 158 of the center tab 156.

The controller 510 also displays a tab position indicator 738 on theside display 524 to indicate the position of the surf devices 152, 154and center tab 156 in terms of percentage relative to a fully-deployedposition. In this embodiment, the controller 510 calculates thepercentage of deployment, but other suitable methods may be usedincluding a sensor in each drive mechanism 158, for example. In thisparticular embodiment, user-selectable options for individual surfdevices 152, 154 and center tab 156 deployment percentages are notdisplayed on the side display 524 as part of the controls correspondingto point-to-point transportation. Instead, an operator would need toselect tab position indicator 738 to bring up a pop-up menu to changethe individual position of the surf devices 152, 154 and center tab 156.A user may also manually operate the surf devices 152, 154 and centertab 156 using a switch in the switch pack 544 as discussed above.

As shown in FIG. 17C, the lower section 714 of the side display 524includes user-selectable options to operate the audio system 200 and, inparticular, shows a head unit for the radio. In this embodiment, thecontrols to operate the audio system 200 are the default display and maybe considered controls that correspond to point-to-point transportation.The controls to operate the audio system 200 may include, for example, atuner to adjust the frequency of the radio, including a plurality ofpreset stations, as shown in FIG. 17C. The controls to operate the audiosystem 200 may also include, for example, volume controls, controls toskip audio tracks, pause playing the audio, repeat the audio, or returnto a previous audio track (as shown in FIGS. 19C, 19D, 19E, and 20C).

The lower section 714 of the side display 524 also display otheruser-selectable options. A plurality of accessory buttons 716 arelocated between the upper portion 712 and the lower portion 714. Byselecting one of these accessory buttons 716, a user can change thecontrols on the lower section 714 of the side display 524. One of theaccessory buttons 716 may display the navigation map 638. Another one ofthe accessory buttons 716 may be a stereo equalizer for the audio system200, discussed further below. Still another accessory button 716 mayinclude controls for the lighting, including navigational lighting, onthe boat 100. Controls for ballast pumps, seat heaters, and otheraccessories may also be accessed through the accessory buttons 716. Oneof the accessory buttons 716 may allow access to a settings menu for thecontrol system 500 or other settings for the boat 100. In addition, oneof the accessory buttons 716 may be used to return to the defaultcontrols for the drive mode. Other than the default controls (controlsfor the audio system 200, in this embodiment), the controls displayed byselecting one of the accessory buttons 716 are not displayed on the sidedisplay 524 as controls corresponding to point-to-point transportation.

The tow mode corresponds to using the boat for water sports. In thisembodiment, and as discussed above, there are three sub-modes, eachcorresponding to a different water sport. One of the water sports iswake surfing (surf 706 a), another one of the water sports iswakeboarding (wake 706 b), and the third water sport is water skiing(ski 706 c). The information displayed on the center display 522 and thecontrols on the side display 524 thus correspond to the particular watersport. In this embodiment, the information displayed on the centerdisplay 522 is the same for all three sub-modes/water sports, with theexception of an indicator 652 of the specific tow mode. However, thecontrols on the upper section 712 of the side display 524 differ betweenthe sub-modes/water sports. FIGS. 19A and 19B show two configurations ofthe center display 522 in the tow mode. FIG. 19C shows the configurationof the side display 524 in the surf mode. FIG. 19D shows theconfiguration of the side display 524 in the wake mode. FIG. 19E showsthe configuration of the side display 524 in the ski mode.

The operational parameters of the boat that are pertinent to watersports include, for example, those pertinent to point-to-pointtransportation discussed above relative to the drive mode as well as thelevel of water in the ballast tanks 142, 144, 146 and the position ofthe surf devices 152, 154 and center tab 156.

The parameters and layout of the center display 522 in the tow mode aresimilar to the parameters and layout of the center display 522 in thedrive mode. As shown in FIG. 19A, however, the right gauge 620 isreplaced with indicators 654 of the level of water in the ballast tanks142, 144, 146 and indicators 656 of the position of the surf devices152, 154 and center tab 156. The controller 510 may display theindicators 654 of the level of water in the ballast tanks 142, 144, 146on the center display 522 in the same way it displays the correspondingindicators 732 on the side display 524. Similarly, the controller 510may display the indicators 656 of the position of the surf devices 152,154 and center tab 156 on the center display 522 in the same way itdisplays the corresponding indicators 732 on the side display 524. Theseindicators 654, 656 may include, for example, graphical indications ornumerical values representing a percentage of fill or deployment.

In this embodiment, the speed of the engine 550 and the speed of theboat 100 are displayed in a combined speedometer/tachometer as the leftdigital gauge 610. Although any suitable layout may be used, the leftgauge 610 displays the speed of the engine 550 using the bar 612 andscale 614 and the center 616 of the left gauge 610 remains unchanged toshow the speed of the boat 100.

The expanded view of the center display 522 in the tow mode is alsosimilar to the expanded view of the center display 522 in the drivemode. As shown in FIG. 19B, for example, more of the video feed from thevideo camera 564 may be shown. In this embodiment, the indicators 654 ofthe level of water in the ballast tanks 142, 144, 146 are located to theleft of the top section 642 above the center screen 630, and theindicators 656 of the position of the surf devices 152, 154 and centertab 156 are located to the right of the top section 642 above the centerscreen 630.

FIG. 19C shows the side display 524 in the tow mode for wake surfing.FIG. 19D shows the side display 524 in the tow mode for wakeboarding.FIG. 19E shows the side display 524 in the tow mode for water skiing. Inthis embodiment, controls that are common to all three tow modes includethe AutoLaunch buttons 574, 576 and cruise control features 722, 724,726, discussed above with regard to the drive mode. Also common to allthree tow modes is a video recording button 740. As discussed above, thecontrol system 500 is communicatively coupled to at least one videocamera 564. Although any suitable connection may be used, in thisembodiment, the control system includes a WiFi® chip allowing a WiFi®enabled video camera 564, such as a GoPro® camera, for example, to bewirelessly connected to the control system 500. A user may select thevideo recording button 740 by sending a command from the side display524 via the controller 510 to the video camera to turn on or off thevideo recording functions of the camera 564. Where more than one videocamera 564 is connected to the control system 500, the video recordingbutton 740 may enable synchronous recording of all cameras 564. Althoughdescribed in reference to a video camera 564, other suitable camerasincluding still digital photo cameras may be used.

The side display 524 in each of the tow modes also includes at least oneuser-selectable option that configures the boat 100 for the wake sportbeing performed. The configuration of the boat 100 corresponding to eachof the user-selectable options that will be described below may bestored in the memory 514. When a command is received from the sidedisplay 524 indicating that a particular configuration has beenselected, the controller 510 retrieves the settings for theconfiguration and operates various components to configure the boat 100according to the settings. For the water sports discussed herein, thesettings stored in the memory will typically be a set speed for thecruise control, the water level in the ballast tanks 142, 144, 146, andthe positions of the surf devices 152, 154 and center tab 156. Thecontroller 510 will operate these components as discussed above when aparticular configuration is selected. The controls that correspond towater sports, and in particular the water sports of wake surfing,wakeboarding, and water skiing, may include controls for cruise control,user-selectable options for a method that assists in getting the boat100 on plane, at least one user-selectable option that configures theboat 100 for the wake sport being performed, and controls for the audiosystem 200.

In this embodiment, the wake surf mode includes at least twouser-selectable configurations for wake surfing: surf left and surfright. As shown in FIG. 19C, the side display 524 includes a surf leftbutton 742 and a surf right button 743. For each of the wake surfconfigurations discussed herein, each ballast tank 142, 144, 146 ispreferably set at 100% full. However, other suitable fill conditions maybe appropriate, including, for example, filling the ballast tank 142,144 on the surf side (e.g., port side ballast tank 142 for the surf leftbutton 742 and the starboard side ballast tank 144 for the surf rightbutton 744) more than the ballast tank 142, 144 on the non-surf side.The set speed for the cruise control is a speed suitable for surfing,preferably between 9 mph to 12 mph. The controller 510 will also deployone of the surf devices 152, 154 used for creating a surf wake for asurfer. When the surf devices discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,833,286 areused, for example, the starboard surf device 154 is deployed in responseto the controller 510 receiving a command from a user selecting the surfleft button 742, and the port surf device 152 is deployed in response tothe controller 510 receiving a command from a user selecting the surfright button 744. When the surf devices 152, 154 discussed in the fourththrough the seventh embodiments of U.S. Patent Application PublicationNo. 2015/0175242 are used, the port surf device 152 is deployed inresponse to the controller 510 receiving a command from a user selectingthe surf left button 742, and the starboard surf device 154 is deployedin response to the controller 510 receiving a command from a userselecting the surf right button 744. In addition to the position of thesurf devices 152, 154, in some surf wake configurations, the center tab156 may also be moved.

In addition to surf left and surf right, the wake surf mode may includeother boat configurations for wake surfing. In this embodiment, forexample, the side display 524 includes a mellow button 746 and a steepbutton 748, each associated with settings for a different style of waveon the surf side of the boat 100. The mellow button 746 is associatedwith settings that produce a longer and flatter wave than the settingsassociated with the steep button 748. Stored in the memory 514 are twoconfiguration settings for each of surf left and surf right. With one ofthe surf left button 742 or the surf right button 744 selected, the useralso selects one of the mellow button 746 or the steep button 748, andthe controller 510 adjusts the configuration of the boat 100 for thatwave style for the surf side of the boat, resulting in fouruser-selectable options for wake surfing in this embodiment. When thesurf devices discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,833,286 are used, for example,the deployed position for the surf device 152, 154 may be shallower(less of a deployed percentage) when the mellow button 746 is selectedthan the deployed position for the surf device 152, 154 when the steepbutton 748 is selected. In addition to, or instead of, differingdeployed positions of the surf device 152, 154 for mellow and steep boatconfigurations, the set speed may be different. For example, the speedof the boat 100 may be slower by from 0.2 to 0.6 mph when the steepbutton 748 is selected compared to when the mellow button 746 isselected.

In addition to these preprogrammed settings, the memory 514 may alsostore user-defined wake surf configurations, also referred to asprofiles. The side display 524 includes a profile button 750 that bringsup a drop-down menu of the profiles, including the user-definedprofiles, stored in the memory 514. The side display 524 also includes asave button 752 and a new button 754 that allows a user to save thecurrent configuration of the boat 100 as a profile or to create a newprofile, respectively.

In this embodiment, the wakeboarding mode includes three user-selectableconfigurations for wakeboarding that adjust the configuration of theboat relative to the skill level of the wakeboard. As shown in FIG. 19D,the side display 524 includes a beginner button 756, an intermediatebutton 758, and an advanced button 760. Although the wake surf devices152, 154 and center tab 156 may be used in each of the wakeboardingconfigurations, each of these devices are fully retracted for each ofthe three wakeboarding configurations of this embodiment. Thedifferences between the wakeboarding configurations are the set speedfor cruise control and the ballast. For all three wakeboardconfigurations, the set speed of the boat is preferably from 18 mph to25. The set speed associated with the beginner button 756 is preferablythe slowest, preferably from 18 mph to 20 mph. The set speed associatedwith the advanced button 760 is preferably the fastest, preferably atfrom 23 mph to 25 mph. The set speed associated with the intermediatebutton 758 is preferably between the set speeds associated with thebeginner button 756 and the advanced button 760, preferably at from 20mph to 22 mph. The ballast conditions may be different between eachwakeboarding configuration as well. For example, the ballast conditionsfor the port ballast tank 142, the center ballast tank 146, andstarboard ballast tank 144 associated with the beginner button 756 areeach preferably from 0% to 15%. Likewise, the ballast conditionsassociated with the intermediate button 758 are each preferably from 30%to 60%, and the ballast conditions associated with the advanced button760 are each preferably from 70% to 100%.

In the wakeboarding mode, one of the AutoLaunch options, such as theAutoLaunch Single button 732, may be activated by default in order toassist the boat 100 in quickly reaching the wakeboarding set speeds. Aswith the wake surf mode, the side display 524 also includes the profilebutton 750 and the ability to save and create new profiles (save button752 and new button 754).

In this embodiment and as shown in FIG. 19E, the ski mode includes asingle configuration (ski button 762) that adjusts the configuration ofthe boat 100 for water skiing. Unlike the configurations of the boat forwake surfing and wakeboarding, water skiers generally prefer to minimizethe wake. In this embodiment, the settings associated with the skibutton 762 include no ballast and both surf devices 152, 154 fullyretracted. In this embodiment, the center tab 156 is also fullyretracted, but the settings associated with the ski button 762 maydeploy the center tab 156 to provide lift to the stern of the boat andhelp minimize the wake. The settings associated with the ski button 762also include a set speed that is preferably from 28 mph to 36 mph. Aswith the wake surf mode, the side display 524 also includes the profilebutton 750 and the ability to save and create new profiles (save button752 and new button 754).

As with the drive mode, many of the plurality of controls thatcorrespond to water sports are displayed on the upper section 712 of theside display 524 in each of the tow modes. In this embodiment, the uppersection 712 comprises a larger area of the side display 524 than thelower section 714 in each tow mode, and by default, the lower section714 shows the controls for the audio system 200.

The chill mode corresponds to boating activities when the boat 100 isnot moving through the water. For present purposes, the boat 100 isconsidered as not moving through the water when it is not beingpropelled through the water by the engine 550, and the phrase not movingthrough the water is not intended to exclude conditions were the boat100 is moving through the water from other conditions, such as where theboat is floating and being moved by wind, currents, or the like. Boatingactivities when the boat 100 is not moving through the water include,for example, swimming, sunbathing, grilling, or otherwise relaxing(“chilling”). The boat 100 is typically used for these activities whenthe boat 100 is anchored, moored to the dock, positioned on a sandbar orbeach, or otherwise floating in the body of water without beingpropelled by the engine 550.

The parameters and layout of the center display 522 in the chill modeare similar to the parameters and layout of the center display 522 inthe drive mode. As shown in FIG. 20A, however, additional audioinformation is displayed on a right display area 658 in place of theright gauge 620 and the left gauge 610 is the combinedspeedometer/tachometer (discussed above in reference to FIG. 19A). Theadditional audio information displayed on the right display area mayinclude, for example, the audio source, the volume of the audio system,and identifiers of the audio being played. When the audio being playedis a song, for example, the identifiers of the audio may include, thename of the song, the name of the artist, and the album.

Because of the audio focus of the chill mode, users will often displayinformation from the audio system 200 on the center screen 630 byselecting the audio button 634. The expanded view of the center display522 with the audio button 634 selected is shown in FIG. 20B, andincludes information that corresponds to boating activities when theboat 100 is not moving through the water. For the expanded view, thewater temperature and depth are shown in the right display area 658, andthe air temperature is shown in a left area 660, which replaces the leftgauge 610. The controller 510 may also display current weatherconditions, received through a weather band of the audio system 200, inthe left area 660.

As discussed above, the chill mode is audio focused, and the controller510 displays on the lower section 714 of the side display 524 controlsfor the audio system 200. Thus, in this embodiment, the controlscorresponding to boating activities when the boat 100 is not movingthrough the water include controls for the audio system 200. In theupper section 712 of the side display 524, and in place of the cruisecontrol and other boat configuration settings discussed above withrespect to the drive mode and tow mode, the controller 510 displays thecontrols that may be accessed by selecting one of the accessory buttons716. By default, the controller 510 displays the stereo equalizer forthe audio system 200. In this embodiment, the stereo equalizer shows aschematic 764 of the boat 100 that has been divided into a plurality ofuser-selectable sections 766 that are overlayed on the schematic 764.The plurality of user-selectable sections 766 divides the boat 100 intozones and may be referred to herein as zone buttons 766. In thisembodiment, there are five zones, one for the bow speakers 214 in thebow seating area 132, one for the subwoofer(s) 220, one for the dashspeakers 218 (helm), one for the cockpit speakers 216, and one for thetower speakers 212. A user may select a zone button 766 and adjust thevolume of that zone as a percentage of the master volume. The mastervolume is shown digitally and may be adjusted by a user-selectable slidebar 768. In addition, the equalizer may also include an option 770 toadjust the bass frequencies, midrange frequencies, and treblefrequencies relative to each other and the master volume.

Throughout the full range of uses for the boat 100, users often desireto play audio through the audio system 200 in the boat 100. However, thefull range of uses often has very different ambient noise conditions,which must be overcome to hear the audio played through the audio system200. For example, the ambient noise is minimal when the boat is tied tothe dock but may be high when used for wakeboarding. Merely adjustingthe volume of the audio system 200, or even the volume of selectspeakers, may not adequately compensate for the different ambient noiseconditions. For example, the ambient conditions may destructivelyinterfere with select frequencies being emitted from the speakers of theaudio system. Consequently, if the volume is increased (increasing thegain of all the full audio spectrum being output) to overcome thisdestructive interference, the other frequencies that are not subject tointerference will be emphasized, compared to the original or intendedaudio.

A solution this problem is to adjust the gain of select frequencies orfrequency ranges to account for the ambient sound and operationalconditions of the boat. This select frequency adjustment may be made bydigital signal processing, and the dynamic control system 500 enables aunique implementation of digital signal processing of select frequenciesor frequency ranges as will be described below.

FIG. 21 is a schematic of the audio system 200 of the boat 100. Theaudio system receives 200 audio signals from an audio source 230. Theaudio source may be any suitable audio source including, for example,audio received by an AM/FM radio receiver; audio received by satelliteradio receiver; digital media stored on a digital media player such as amobile phone or iPod®; digital streaming service using a device, such asa mobile phone, that is communicatively coupled to a wireless network;and audio stored on a compact disc (CD) and played using a CD player.The audio source 230 may be integrated into the boat 100. For example,an AM/FM radio receiver 232 may be built into the boat and operatedthrough the control system 500 of the boat 100. The audio system 200 mayalso be configured to allow an external audio source 230 to be coupledto the audio system 200 using, for example, a cable connecting the audiosource 230 to an audio input interface 234 and/or a short distancewireless receiver/transmitter 236. The audio input interface 234 mayinclude a 3.5 mm audio port, a universal serial bus (USB) port, ahigh-definition multimedia interface port, or an optical interface port,and the short distance wireless receiver/transmitter 236 may use theBluetooth® protocol, for example.

As discussed above, the audio source 230 may be operated by thecontroller 510 through user-selectable options displayed by thecontroller 510 on the side display 524 and in this way, the controller510 and side display 524 operates as a head unit. The controller 510 iscommunicatively coupled to a digital signal processing unit 240. Thecontroller 510 receives the audio signal from the audio source 230 andtransmits the audio signal, together with the operating mode (in thisembodiment, drive, surf, wake, ski, or chill), the master volume level,and any volume adjustment relative to the master volume level (discussedabove relative to zones), to the digital signal processing unit 240. Thedigital signal processing unit 240 includes a processor and a memorythat is configured to digitally process the audio signal according to aprescribed algorithm. Any suitable digital signal processing unit andalgorithm may be used including, for example, the Bongiovi Digital PowerStation™ and corresponding algorithm by Bongiovi Acoustics of Port SaintLucie, Fla.

The audio spectrum, the range of frequencies that humans can hear,generally extends from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. In this embodiment, the digitalsignal processing unit 240 remasters the audio signal to extend therange of the audio signal to the full range of audio frequencies, if theinput audio signal has been clipped because of audio compression. Forexample, if the audio source is limited to bass frequencies only as lowas 100 Hz, the digital signal processing unit 240 will restore the rangeof frequencies down to 20 Hz. The audio spectrum may be divided into aplurality of subranges. In this embodiment, the audio spectrum isdivided into seven subranges, as shown in Table 1 below, although thefrequencies may be divided into any number of suitable divisions.

TABLE 1 Frequency Range Frequency Values Sub-bass 20 Hz to 60 Hz Bass 60 Hz to 250 Hz Low midrange 250 Hz to 500 Hz Midrange 500 Hz to 2 kHz Upper midrange 2 kHz to 4 kHz Presence 4 kHz to 6 kHz Brilliance  6 kHzto 20 kHz

FIG. 22 is a flow chart showing how the digital signal processing unit240 compensates for at least one environmental condition associated withan operating condition of the boat 100. In step S805, the received audiosignal is received and then, in step S810, it is divided into theplurality of subranges of frequencies. One or more, but not all, of thesubranges of frequencies are selected in step S815, and then eachselected subrange is adjusted by modifying the gain of frequencies inthe subrange to compensate for environmental conditions in step S820.Because each mode corresponds to a particular activity of the boat 100,each mode also corresponds to particular environmental conditions suchas ambient noise and operational noise related to the activity of themode. The subranges selected in step S815 are based on the mode, and theadjustments are made to compensate for the environmental conditions ofthat mode as discussed below. These subrange frequency adjustments mayeven be made on the basis of the output speaker location. As discussedabove, the boat 100 may be divided into five zones, one for the bowspeakers 214 in the bow seating area 132, one for the subwoofer(s) 220,one for the dash speakers 218 (helm), one for the cockpit speakers 216,and one for the tower speakers 212. The frequency adjustment may thus betailored to compensate for the environmental conditions in a particularzone.

In the chill mode, the boat 100 is not moving and the engine isoperating at a low engine speed, if at all. Overall there is very littleambient operation and operational noise for boating activities when theboat is not moving through the water. Consequently, none of thesubranges are modified to compensate for environmental conditions in thechill mode. A common activity done with the boat in the chill mode isswimming. Often swimming is near the boat, and as a result, the towerspeakers 212 are set to project sound at the desired volume relativelyclose to the boat 100, preferably from 10 ft. to 40 ft., and morepreferably 25 ft. from the tower speakers 212.

In the drive mode, the boat 100 may be operating at planing speeds(e.g., higher than 20 mph) but with the boat 100 often lightly loaded,reducing the engine speed relative to that produced in wake mode, forexample. The wakes produced are also relatively small and there isrelatively little water noise from the wake. Thus, in the drive mode,the bow speakers 214 are set to compensate for high noise levels fromwind. Engine noise typically plays a minimal role in the bow seatingarea 132. In this embodiment, for example, the frequency subrangesadjusted to compensate for these environmental conditions includefrequencies in the high frequency ranges (presence and brilliance) andin the mid frequency ranges (low midrange, midrange, and high midrange).The dash speakers 218 are set to compensate for moderate noise levelsfrom the engine 550. Because of the windshield 104, it is often notnecessary to compensate for wind at the dash speakers 218. The frequencysubranges adjusted to compensate for these environmental conditionsinclude frequencies in the mid-frequency ranges. The cockpit speakers216 are set to compensate for high noise levels from both wind and theengine 550, and the frequency subranges adjusted to compensate for theseenvironmental conditions include frequencies in the high and midfrequency ranges.

When skiing, the boat 100 is operated at the highest speeds of the towmodes (e.g., from 28 mph to 36 mph) with minimal wake. These conditionsare similar to those of the drive mode, and in this embodiment, theaudio signal for each of the bow, helm, and cockpit speakers 214, 216,218 are adjusted in the same way as they are in the drive mode. Thewater skier is towed a distance behind the boat and the tower speakers212 are thus set to provide to project sound at the desired volume tothe skier, preferably from 40 ft. to 100 ft., and more preferably 85 ft.from the tower speakers 212.

In the surf mode, the boat 100 travels at the slowest speeds of the towmodes (e.g., 9 mph to 12 mph) and thus has the least amount of windnoise, other than in the chill mode. Even though the boat is operatingat slower speeds, the engine 550 must overcome loads from the additionalballast added to the boat and drag from deployed surf devices 152, 154,generating a moderate amount of noise. In addition, the waves are largeand generate water noise in the aft part of the boat 100. In thisembodiment, the bow and dash speakers 214, 218 are set to compensate formoderate noise levels, but without any subrange frequency adjustmentsspecific to environmental conditions (e.g., the frequency subranges areset at the normal equalizer curve). The cockpit speakers 216, however,are set to compensate for moderate noise levels from both the engine 550and the water, and the frequency subranges adjusted to compensate forthese environmental conditions include frequencies in the mid frequencyranges. Surfing is done near the boat 100, and as a result, the towerspeakers 212 are set to project sound at the desired volume relativelyclose to the boat 100, preferably from 10 ft. to 40 ft., and morepreferably 25 ft. from the tower speakers 212

Wakeboarding also generates noise from the water with typical speedshigher than wake surfing speeds (e.g., from 18 mph to 25 mph). In thewake mode, the bow speakers 214 are set to compensate for moderate noiselevels from wind, and the frequency subranges adjusted to compensate forthese environmental conditions include frequencies in the mid frequencyranges. The cockpit speakers 216 are set to compensate for moderatenoise levels from the engine 550 and the water, and the frequencysubranges adjusted to compensate for these environmental conditionsinclude frequencies in the mid frequency ranges. In this embodiment, thedash speakers 218 are set to compensate for moderate noise levels, butwithout any subrange frequency adjustments specific to environmentalconditions (e.g., the speakers 218 operate using the normal equalizercurve).

The subranges of frequencies that are selected and adjusted in stepsS815 and S820 are referred to herein as “adjusted subrange frequencies”and the subranges not selected are referred to herein as “unmodifiedsubrange frequencies.” For each zone, the adjusted subrange frequenciesare combined with the unmodified subrange frequencies in step S825 toproduce an adjusted audio signal. The audio adjustments to the audiosignal received from the controller 510 are not limited to thosediscussed above and the digital signal processing unit 240 may applyother signal processing and filters to the audio signal to generate theadjusted audio signal.

As shown in FIG. 21, the digital signal processing unit 240 iscommunicatively coupled to an amplifier 242. Any suitable amplifier maybe used. In step S830, the digital signal processing unit 240 outputsthe adjusted audio signal for each speaker pair to the amplifier 242,and the amplifier 242, drawing power from the battery 554, amplifies theadjusted audio signal to produce an amplified adjusted audio signal foreach speaker pair. The amplifier 242 is communicatively coupled to eachof the speaker pairs and transmits the amplified adjusted audio signalto each speaker 212, 214, 216, 218, 220, which in turn produces theaudio sound.

The control system 500 and audio systems 200, including the dash speaker218 configuration, include various different aspects. The differentaspects of these systems 200, 500, may be used in various combinations.For example, the dash speaker 218 configuration described herein may beimplemented with a boat having a control system different from thecontrol system described herein. Likewise, the control system 500 may beimplemented on boats having different speaker configurations and audiosystems 200 or even no audio system at all.

Although this invention has been described with respect to certainspecific exemplary embodiments, many additional modifications andvariations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of thisdisclosure. It is, therefore, to be understood that this invention maybe practiced otherwise than as specifically described. Thus, theexemplary embodiments of the invention should be considered in allrespects to be illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of theinvention to be determined by any claims supportable by this applicationand the equivalents thereof, rather than by the foregoing description.

What is claimed is:
 1. A boat comprising: a hull including a bow, atransom, and port and starboard sides; a deck including a floor; awindshield mounted at a first non-zero angle with respect to the floor;a dash positioned proximate the windshield, the dash including a topsurface and an opening; and a speaker mounted under the top surface ofthe dash at a second non-zero angle with respect to the floor, thespeaker being positioned to direct sound emanating from the speakerthrough the opening in the dash.
 2. The boat according to claim 1,further comprising a centerline, the dash being positioned on thestarboard side of the centerline of the boat.
 3. The boat according toclaim 2, further comprising: a second dash positioned proximate thewindshield on the port side of the centerline of the boat, the seconddash including a top surface and an opening; and a second speakermounted under the top surface of the second dash at a third non-zeroangle with respect to the floor, the second speaker being positioned todirect sound emanating from the speaker through the opening in thesecond dash.
 4. The boat according to claim 1, further comprising agrille covering the opening in the dash.
 5. A boat comprising: a hullincluding a bow, a transom, and port and starboard sides; a deckincluding a floor; a windshield mounted at a first non-zero angle withrespect to the floor; and a speaker positioned proximate the windshieldat a second non-zero angle with respect to the floor, the speaker beingpositioned at the second non-zero angle to form an acute angle with thewindshield.
 6. The boat according to claim 5, further comprising a dash,the dash being positioned proximate the windshield, the speaker beingmounted to the dash.
 7. The boat according to claim 5, furthercomprising a dash, the dash being positioned proximate the windshield,the dash including a top surface and an opening, the speaker beingmounted under the dash and positioned to direct sound emanating from thespeaker through the opening in the dash.
 8. The boat according to claim7, further comprising a grille covering the opening in the dash.
 9. Theboat according to claim 5, wherein the speaker is a first speaker andthe boat further comprises a second speaker positioned proximate thewindshield at a third non-zero angle with respect to the floor, thesecond speaker being positioned at the third non-zero angle to form anacute angle with the windshield.
 10. The boat according to claim 9,further comprising a centerline, the first speaker being positioned onthe starboard side of the centerline of the boat and the second speakerbeing positioned on the port side of the centerline of the boat.
 11. Aboat comprising: a hull including a bow, a transom, and port andstarboard sides; a deck including a floor; a windshield mounted at afirst non-zero angle with respect to the floor; a dash positionedproximate the windshield, the dash including a top surface; and aplurality of speakers mounted under the top surface of the dash, eachspeaker mounted at a non-zero angle with respect to the floor andpositioned to direct sound emanating from the respective speaker throughan opening in the dash.
 12. The boat according to claim 11, wherein theplurality of speakers includes a first speaker and a second speaker. 13.The boat according to claim 12, wherein the first speaker is mounted ata second non-zero angle with respect to the floor and the second speakeris mounted at a third non-zero angle with respect to the floor.
 14. Theboat according to claim 13, wherein the second non-zero angle and thethird non-zero angle are the same.
 15. The boat according to claim 12,further comprising: a first enclosure mounted under the dash andincluding a lower portion and an upper portion, the upper portion of thefirst enclosure having an opening, wherein the first speaker is mountedin the lower portion of the first enclosure and positioned to directsound emanating from the first speaker through the opening in the firstenclosure; and a second enclosure mounted under the dash and including alower portion and an upper portion, the upper portion of the secondenclosure having an opening, wherein the second speaker is mounted inthe lower portion of the second enclosure and positioned to direct soundemanating from the second speaker through the opening in the secondenclosure.
 16. The boat according to claim 15, wherein each of the firstenclosure and second enclosure further includes a bottom wall located inthe lower portion of the respective enclosure, and the first speaker andthe second speaker are mounted to the bottom wall of the correspondingenclosure.
 17. The boat according to claim 11, further comprising: anenclosure mounted under the dash and including a lower portion and anupper portion, the upper portion of the enclosure having an opening,wherein each of the plurality of speakers is mounted in the lowerportion of the enclosure and positioned to direct sound emanating fromthe speaker through the opening in the enclosure.
 18. The boat accordingto claim 17, wherein the enclosure further includes a bottom walllocated in the lower portion of the enclosure, and each of the pluralityof speakers is mounted to the bottom wall of the enclosure.